Caged
by Rainpebbles
Summary: Impala Series Part XV: The crew rushes around from planet to planet to try and save Anna from being sent away, but on their latest stop they run into some trouble. The area has been plagued with mysterious kidnappings and when one of their own disappears they are at a loss where to start looking. Is the Impala crew falling apart? Destiel and Sabriel
1. Chapter 1

Notes: Here we are at the start of The Impala Series season 2! I'm excited for this story and I'm actually finding it a lot easier to write freely instead of with a set script. Hopefully you guys enjoy the fresh and new stories since for once you don't know the endings! I posted three chapters this time, so enjoy 'em!

Disclaimer: *gross sobbing*

* * *

CHAPTER 1

There was no way that they would ever steal enough money to pay for the amount of therapy that it would take to fix the crew members of the Impala. There probably wasn't even enough to afford just treatment of the Winchesters alone but Sam liked to believe that they weren't hopeless cases yet, that there might still be a chance for them to avoid a padded room, but with the amount of crap thrown at them in the last year and a half….well it was amazing that Cas was still the only one that they dubbed "unstable".

Somehow they had come out of their last scrape with the bounty hunter more or less in one piece. Certainly things were a little tense. Chuck was back to normal, if not a bit jumpy. Anna was quiet, but that might have been for other reasons. Bobby seemed just fine and had blatantly refused to have his head injury treated saying "Maybe if it hurts a bit I'll learn how to duck", much to Dean's amusement and Cas' confusion.

For a few days Meg wore her entire armory around on her small frame, smiling like she was strutting out in her new boots. She didn't seem the least bit bothered by what had occurred as she was just happy to have her weapons back. Especially Jane. Balthazar was something of a mystery in that he walked around like nothing had changed, like nothing had happened. They thought perhaps he was in a sort of denial about the shock it was to almost lose both brothers again, but it was the dark circles under his eyes that told another story. A few of them, mainly Sam and Gabriel, had tried to get him to open up, but so far to no success. They weren't about to push though, not until it became a real problem because for now…he was holding his own.

Then there was Sam who had Gabriel doing everything from shining his shoes to who knows what in bed to make up for his almost leaving bit, not that the senior pilot had any qualms about it. Almost losing Sam and Cas had shaken him as well and he was more than happy to wash their dishes for them. Of course, Dean had chosen not to say anything about what he had seen one late night a week before.

Cas had been sleeping hard. Damned hard. Hard enough that he left a crater in the mattress and could have potentially got a concussion from the pillow and it was all from the mass healing he had done for the crew, insisting on healing every last bruise and blemish as an apology for attracting that psycho Gordon in the first place. Dean however had been woefully awake and had decided to head to the kitchen for a small snack after placing a small kiss to Cas exposed shoulder before getting out of bed.

In order to get to the kitchen, Dean had taken the catwalk that brought him right by the cargo hold. That's where he saw Gabriel…punching the metal wall hard enough to draw blood. Dean had stood there shocked, wondering if he should say anything when Gabriel then decided to fall to his knees in an angry growl. That's when he started hitting the floor, leaving bright red drops of blood over the surface.

Dean had never seen the pilot so angry before and the sight truly shocked him, scared him even. Dean had very quickly changed his mind over the snack and ran back to his and Cas' room, like a kid who had been caught out of bed.

The next morning Dean had looked at the pilot from across the table only to see him behaving completely normal. He had even stuck a rubber spider in Chuck's oatmeal and put neon pink food coloring in the powdered milk again. He was making googly eyes at Sam, and Sam was making googly eyes right back, sickening like always. And of course, Gabriel's hands were completely healed up and the hold's floor was very clean.

It took a lot of thought, but Dean had chosen in the end to not say a word. He based it off of how angry he would have been with himself if he had been in Gabriel's very small shoes, and in a way Dean had been. Both Gabriel and him were in a position to lose a brother and a lover that night, and they had both been helpless to stop it. Not too long ago, Dean probably would have been the one taking a crowbar to his own ship in the self-loathing that came with losing or almost losing a loved one. Only reason why Dean's hands weren't bloodied was simply because…well, maybe he had a small bit of self control thanks to his practice reining in emotion to spare Cas. Not to mention, Cas was upset enough with himself that he really didn't need Dean's anger topped on it like some rotten cherry.

A fair bit of shame came in the aftermath of calling himself God, even if it was just in fun and games, and then there was a butt-load of shame that came with almost leaving of his own free will. It was a credit to Dean however that he didn't get angry with Cas or even give him the silent treatment for the threat of abandonment. Still, Cas was trying to make up for his mistakes by doing little things. Healing wounds was just the start. There were offerings of mutilated meals that reminded Dean of gruesome sacrificial animal offerings. There were mountains of clean, practically sterilized dishes. Every linen, cloth, shirt, and sock that hadn't seen their partner in years had been freshly laundered and folded with obsessive precision. Cas had even managed to find a broom and had swept every foot of the ship, but the crew was more curious as to where he had gotten the appliance in the first place. Dean certainly didn't remember ever buying one.

Sam finally drew the line and decided that it was time to end this when Cas had offered to wash everyone's feet and asked if anyone had a recipe on board for "protein pie".

The younger Winchester was a little confused at his brother's take on this whole thing. As the more "touchy feely" or in Dean's mind "girly" brother, Sam took it upon himself to look after Dean's emotional health since Dean had taken it upon himself to look after Sam's physical health. It was just how they had worked since they were kids left alone to look after one another, but things had changed a lot since then. They were no longer on their own, and old habits die hard, so Sam was left concerned over his brother and the odd reaction to Cas almost leaving.

It was no surprise that Dean might have abandonment issues and Sam was more than aware that he was one of the leading causes of that, so that just made this apparent indifference all the more confusing to Sam. He would have assumed that his brother would be livid, sad, depressed, frustrated, and Sam had mentally prepared his "Let's step back and talk about your feelings before you explode" speech. All that was left was cornering his brother.

* * *

"Hey."

"Hey."

_Simple enough greeting, shouldn't put him on edge. Shouldn't give any hints at what's to come…_

"I'm fine, Sammy."

_Damn_

"Uh, I wasn't—"

Dean snorts, "Yes you were, and still probably are. And don't try to deny it because I know you too well at this point. Walking slowly towards me on the catwalk, two beers in your hands, and puppy eyes already…puppying. You're about as subtle as hippo doing ballet, so spill."

Sensing a battle lost, Sam obediently took his spot next to his brother leaning over the railing to look out over the hold. He used to wonder why they chose this spot as their own and not the control room. Certainly the stars would have been a better view, but he guessed it was just that open and free feeling that you got when you stood there knowing that you were safe, home.

Sam started to fiddle with the beer's wrapper in his left hand, worrying at a small tear there. Both brother's knew that by the end of this, the whole wrapper would be torn off and probably in confetti form on the floor.

"Jesus, Sam. Just spit it out will ya? Don't keep me in suspense."

Sam sighed heavily, "I told Cas that he should probably stop trying to do stuff for us, but I don't think he's going to listen to me. So…I was thinking that maybe you should say something."

"That's it? Dude, I've been trying to get him to chill out for days. What makes you think he's gonna listen to any of us?" Dean snarked and made to reach for the second bottle of beer, but Sam pulled it out of reach quickly, giving Dean a searching look, noting the childish pout on his big brother's face as his favorite beverage was held high out of reach.

"Well, I was thinking that none of the crew in any way blames Cas for what happened. Especially his brothers, and I know that I don't…and Cas can feel everything that we do, so it would make no sense if he still felt guilty over something that he knew no one blamed him for..." hedged Sam hesitantly, but Dean only glanced at him with a somewhat confused expression. Clearly Dean didn't see where he was going with this and Sam braced himself for the punch line.

"…so maybe it would make sense that the reason he still feels guilty is because he can sense that someone is still mad at him. Someone he really cares about. Someone who's opinion means everything to him."

Now Dean reacted, standing up from his slouched position on the railing to face Sam. His whole body screamed defensive, "You think that I'm still pissed at him?"

Now Sam was on the defensive and held his hands up in a placating manner, "I'm just saying, he's still feeling guilty for a reason."

"Yeah, and that reason isn't me or how I'm feeling. He knows that we don't blame him! He's blaming himself."

..._blink..._

"Oh. That would explain it then…um, anything we can do?"

Dean shrugged and leaned back out over the railing, "Let him wash the dishes tonight and he should be good for a bit. Maybe eat another one of his sandwiches. You and Gabe can dirty up some sheets again so he has something else to wash. Just…let him work through it his way."

And there it was. Dean had become someone that Sam almost didn't recognize. Whatever this makeshift family had done to change Dean's loner ways and couldn't-care-less attitude, well, he was a new man. He had finally beaten Sam at the analyze the emotions game.

Sam sniffed loudly and made a show of wiping an invisible tear from his eye, "Wow, Dean. That-that was beautiful. I'm so proud." It would have sounded somewhat realistic and heartfelt if it weren't for the chuckles that escaped him as Sam finished. The punch that Dean delivered to his arm was totally expected as well.

"Shut up, bitch. Don't go thinking I'm gonna open up my own practice or nothing. I just happen to _get _Cas, and Cas _gets_ me….Sometimes on a nightly basis," Dean added with a wink. Sam's response was a magnificent bitch face that got them both laughing.

"So you really aren't mad at him? It's not really like you to be okay with someone leaving, or almost leaving."

Dean shrugged, like he was shouldering off a weight like it was nothing. He truly seemed indifferent about it and once again Sam was shocked.

"I should be. I thought I was, but I'm not. For whatever reason I'm not. Probably…probably because I—"

"Because you know that deep down you would have made the same choice," Sam finished, nodding his understanding. It was the same logic he himself was using to not blow up in Gabriel's face.

Dean of course sneered, "Something like that, yeah."

They stood quietly for a moment, letting the hum of the ship take over the conversation for a bit. The beer bottles in Sam's hands were starting to get wet as the water condensed on the surface and a few drops came off and fell the twenty feet to the floor below. They both watched the water fall and splatter on the ground.

Sam fiddled with the wrapper again, "Bet it hurt though."

His brother snorted, "Oh, like stubbing your toe, hitting your funny bone, biting your tongue, hitting your shin on the coffee table, and rubbing hand sanitizer in a paper cut all at once."

And then Sam knew for sure. He had suspected, he had hoped, he had even prayed that Dean might actually feel that way, but now he had his evidence. You only hurt that bad when…

"Yup. You're in love. Have a beer," and he slapped the second bottle into the stunned Dean's hand. Guess Dean hadn't admitted it to himself yet. Now was a good a time as any though.

They fell into silence again, Sam giving Dean plenty of time to absorb his new revelation, but it was comfortable. It took enough time for both of them to be more than halfway done with their drinks for Dean to finally speak again, somehow finding his composure under the floundering of his mind.

"Uh, let's drive this conversation away from you picking out Cas' wedding dress and talk about you and Gabe. I mean, is he doing okay and all?"

Sam frowned, "He's fine. A little shaken at Cas almost leaving, but he's been acting the same as always."

"Oh."

Did Dean look a little worried? Confused? Maybe Sam was just seeing things.

"It's funny you should bring up dresses though…"

Dean pulled a sour face around the rim of his bottle, "Please tell me Anna isn't trying to put Cas in a dress again."

Sam laughed, thinking about how Anna and Balthazar had gotten so close to actually getting Cas into one of the frilly things in her endless closet of clothes. It really was endless. It had to be. No one had ever seen her wear the same thing twice.

"No. It's just weddings really. I guess you should know. Cas knows after all and Gabe and I don't really mean for it to be a secret or anything, but…we're thinking of maybe getting married."

Sam refused to look up and at this point the wrapper was now quickly becoming confetti on the floor, just like he had predicted. He was just waiting for Dean to freak out.

Well, Dean sputtered for at least thirty seconds, "Marriage? Really? Shouldn't he like…ask for permission of something?"

Another bitch face.

"You want him to ask for my hand?"

"Well, no, I just…doesn't it feel a little too soon for you?" Casually leaning on the railing was done with and now both of them were facing each other, but Dean only looked concerned, not mad.

"I've known him almost six years. You've known Cas for only a little more than one year. Can you see yourself ever leaving his side?"

"Well, no, but…you-you want this?"

"Yes."

"…well, okay then I guess. Bobby is gonna love it when you ask him to hitch you guys."

And just with those short words Sam knew that Dean was going to be fine with everything. They were all going to be a family. When did things start going so well for them?

"Oh, shit, Sam! Does this mean I'll be sleeping with my brother in law? Does that count as incest? Maybe we should check that out first, before we get serious about this."

* * *

Lol, I had to have Dean react the same way as Cas did, just had to. It was just too cute to pass up. On to the next chapter!


	2. Chapter 2

Notes: And now we start the set-up for the story! Woo!

Disclaimer: If you want my non-owning it to change, then we should start doing some Ocean's eleven shiz.

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CHAPTER 2

Dean couldn't remember a time where they had pulled more miles in three months than they had in the last two weeks. Anna had continued to get waves from the Guild "suggesting" that she return to them for some re-conditioning, or to "center herself" as they were calling it. Everyday everyone would tense up as Gabriel checked the cortex to see if any new messages were sent out for the crew as they were all waiting for the one where the "suggesting" would turn to "demanding". It was like that time when Sam and Dean were waiting to hear back from the law school Sam had applied to. Any day Dean was waiting for that message that would take away a family member.

It was sad to see everyone so tense in the morning at breakfast. Anna looked like she was carved from marble. Bobby and Balthazar from granite, and poor Cas was about as solid as titanium thanks to the compounding of everyone's emotions around them. It had gotten to the point where Gabriel would just go straight to the control room each morning before heading to breakfast, checking for news to deliver before it upset their stomachs enough that no one had an appetite. Well, Meg was fine in any case.

The fourth day that Dean had walked into the dining area in morning with his heart pounding a mile a minute, he decided that he'd had enough of this. It wasn't time to sit on their collective stony asses and hope this threat just passed them by. They had to do something about this problem.

* * *

"I hate this. I feel like your pimp or something."

Anna smiled brightly at him, "Well, you are doing a wonderful job. Perhaps I'll pick you up a brightly colored suit and hat next time I'm in town so that you can look the role as well as feel it. Maybe I'll even find you a cane with some ornament at the top."

"Excellent. I could always use more burning material," Dean responded as he looked out the windshield of the control room at the planet they were closing in on.

"Aw, but Captain! You could wear it to the wedding ceremony! We could call Cassy-poo your bottom bitch…Oh! We could do it all as a theme! Stick Bobby in drag and hold the ceremony on a seedy sidewalk on some decrepit planet!"

The chorus of "No's" around the room from Dean, Anna and Sam did nothing to lessen the smile on the pilots face as he guided the Impala towards the next planet, Van Nuys. It was planet number 13 in the plan "Get Anna Laid So She Stays" or GALSSS as Dean called it when he proposed the idea, hissing out the 'S' long enough for people to become somewhat concerned.

It was their attempt to keep Anna aboard, and Dean proposed this plan to hopefully change the Guild's mind about their "suggestions".

_"Think about it guys. What's their issue? It's Anna not doing what she's supposed to. What's she supposed to do? She's supposed to get down and dirty with people—"_

_Several people opened their mouths to respond to that, but Dean held up his hands._

_"Professionally, of course."_

_Everyone sat back in their chairs again and let the Captain continue._

_"So my idea is to have Gabriel and Sam plot us a course that will take us to as many planets as possible, get Anna in as many rich guys and gals beds as possible, in as little time as possible. I need Chuck working double time in the engine room cause we're bound to have a few hiccups as we push my baby to make this run fast. Meg, Balthazar, if either of you has contacts on any of the planets that Sam and Gabe map out, I want you to check them and see if any of them are small. One day jobs or non-time sensitive transport cargo only. Cas…"_

_Cas perked up in his chair at attention._

_"Everyone is going to be really busy, so we're going to need you to handle housekeeping for a bit. If Balthazar isn't around to help Anna with her hair, blow on her painted toes, or fit into one of those overly complicated dresses, I need you to step in."_

_Cas nodded solemnly, like he was accepting a grave mission. The image made Dean smile despite how serious this plan would be in keeping Anna with them._

_"And what about me? Or do I just get the pleasure of watching y'all run around like blind chickens in a tub for the next few weeks," Bobby huffed, clearly not too pleased with being left out of the action again._

_"Well, you're the only one who hasn't caused a fire, large scale or campfire, in the kitchen yet, so if Chuck doesn't need a hand in the engine room then I'd appreciate some nice food available to grab and go." Dean waited for Bobby's nod of agreement before he turned his attention to the lady of the hour, meeting her eyes completely serious again._

_"Anna…you just do what you have to. Feel free to tell our pilots if there are any planets you want to include that might hold one or more clients for you. My ship and crew is at your disposal. You just tell us where, when, and who…wait. Not who. Just the address. I really don't want to know who. And definitely not how."_

_Anna looked shocked to say the least, touched as well. The corners of her eyes looked suspiciously bright as she looked around the table at the crew members, none of whom were protesting at the daunting task ahead of them and were instead nodding vigorously as they were given their orders. She shouldn't be shocked though. She should know by now that she was one of theirs and they would do anything for their crew. Besides, this seemed a lot less painful than taking a bullet for a crew member._

But now as they were moving in on planet 13, Dean was starting to wonder if this was actually less painful. Cas and Gabriel couldn't heal pure exhaustion. It was two weeks of little to no sleep for the crew. The course plotted was aggressive to say the least and it meant that Sam and Gabriel had to pilot in shifts so that they didn't have a driver asleep at the wheel.

Chuck was doing his best to fix any gear or bolt that came loose as they pushed the ship to its almost breaking point, but he was starting to become a little too giggly for Dean's liking, and had proposed several new story plots that clearly could have only come from a sleep deprived individual. Bobby and Meg had tried to lend a hand in there, but even they were starting to gain dark marks under their eyes that had nothing to do with the greasy tools.

They would fly by night, and by day, if they were lucky, Balthazar or Meg would have a small job lined up for them so that they could afford the ridiculous amount of fuel they were burning at this rate. At best they were getting maybe three hours a day of rest.

The only person who was getting any sleep was Anna, but that was the whole idea. In between her appointments she was either looking for new prospects on the next planet, or trying to get her shuttle back in order for the next visit.

Cas, who was once again fully charged and didn't need to sleep, had been scurrying around the ship like a little house elf. Fresh laundry would magically appear when Dean had closed his eyes for a twenty minute nap. The candy wrappers scattered around the control room would suddenly disappear. Sandwiches Bobby had prepared and cups of juice would find their way to the engine room, carefully placed in a spot where they wouldn't get dirt on them.

Anna and Balthazar had been praising him for his new found skills at figuring out those complicated dresses that Anna did indeed need help getting into, and how he was apparently a natural at painting toenails while Anna took care of her fingernails, and how he was somehow able to change her silken sheets while she was still asleep in her bed.

Dean was damned proud of him and his crew for pulling this off so far. As far as the Captain knew, Anna had never had this many clients in such a short time ever. Surely it would be enough to calm the Guild and have them re-think things. Or so he had thought. It had been two weeks and almost every day there was a new message for the Companion. They were all still suggestions, but who knew how much longer their patience would last.

Obviously they weren't about to give up.

"We'll be in port in about 5 minutes. Anna, were you going to take your shuttle in?" Sam asked as he glanced over his shoulder at the dressed and ready Companion.

"No shuttle this time. He mentioned wanting to have tea in his garden, so I'll be making my way over to his estate."

"Is that what the kids are calling it these days? I used to call it, chasing the monkey through the bush."

Anna playfully smacked the side of Gabriel's head, but Dean frowned as he glanced over the cortex.

"Hey, would your bed-fellah mind if you had an escort to and from his abode?" he called over his shoulder.

The three others in the room looked mildly confused, but Anna politely answered, "I don't think he would be angry so long as this escort didn't stick around in between. Why? You planning on robbing my client while he's "occupied"? Are we really that desperate now?" she teased lightly, but Dean's lips didn't even twitch towards a smile. The others noticed and glanced at him concerned.

"Dean?" Sam queried when his brother's focus didn't waver from the cortex. The blue glow from the screen shadowed Dean's face enough that it was hard to get a read on his expression, but his voice was tight when he finally spoke.

"This planet, this city in particular, has had a bad rash of kidnapping and disappearances in the last few months. Seriously. Two weeks ago four people went missing from crews on shore leave and a few others who were new to the area. I don't think it's very smart to be sending any of our crew out there without a buddy, and it's just plain dumb to send out a Companion without an escort. I'm calling groups of three at all times not on the ship. Sam and I will take you to your date—"

"Actually, Balthazar and I are working on a job that we might have found," Sam broke in.

"Fine. We'll bring Meg. No one want to steal a rabid dog."

* * *

The walk to the estate was thankfully uneventful. The streets were disgusting and depressing, trash lining every sidewalk along with homeless souls. Places like this never seemed to have dry dirt anywhere. Everything was either cracked and soaked concrete, or puddles and mud and one had to play hopscotch as they walked along just to keep their socks dry.

The 'houses' that lined the streets were clearly all supposed to be condemned years before, but the slumlords of this area probably didn't give two shits that their tenants were living in stale and moldy swiss cheese. Even the people looked wet, but that might have been because this place gave you that feeling that there was never a sunny day, only overcast or downpour.

Needless to say, this place was tragic.

However, in Dean's experience, places like always came with their rich section. Whatever level of poor that these people lived in, it was met in richness level of those who lived off of those who would do anything for the smallest amounts of pay.

This was an industrial planet where you either worked in the factories or you owned the factories, and going by the looks of the workers…the owners had some fat-ass wallets. For a moment Dean teased the idea of stealing from Anna's date in his head.

It was no wonder that with every person they passed they were met with miserable and even reproachful looks. There were snarls and sneers as they looked upon Anna's rich clothing that she was carefully holding up and out of the mud. Even Dean was getting some nasty looks from those who noticed his freshly cleaned clothes and polished shoes courtesy of Cas. It turned out to be a much better choice to bring Meg along because all she had to do was sneer right back and the people paid less attention to the crew members. If they had brought Sam chances were that they would have already adopted several new homeless people and then promptly been mugged by each one in the next hour.

There was even one heart stuttering and stomach rolling moment when Dean thought he had spotted Crowley walking into one particularly seedy looking building, but he let it slide as a few more townsfolk slithered by them, teeth bared with lips curled at them.

Even with Meg in full bulldog mode, Dean still kept a sharp eye out for any threat or indication that someone might be checking out his crew to take for whatever purposes their twisted minds came up with. So far there hadn't been anything to trip an alarm, but Dean wasn't about to let his guard down.

He had checked through the missing person's posters before they headed out to Anna's appointment. In his mind he had pictured young men and women taken for sick pleasures of the skin, but instead he found that each person missing was under one type of profile. They were all strong, big, tall, or just plain scary looking men. It made Dean wonder who the hell would target someone who normally you would hate to run into in a sketchy alley.

At least he got to worry less about them getting ambushed so they could nab a Companion.

It was a shock when they turned on decrepit street corner and go from mud to green grass in all but a few feet of walking. The slums had blocked sight of the manicured land just beyond the workers town and now they were staring at a large set of gates that blocked off a huge estate that seemed to hold several mansion sized houses behind it.

It was sickeningly fancy. There were flower bushes perfectly trimmed. A fountain spurting crystal clear water into a pond where you could just make out the golden fish swimming in its depths. Even the grass was cut into a pattern.

"Which one is his place?" Meg asked, face pressed up against the bars of the gate until her face got pinched between them.

Anna actually blushed a bit, "Uh, I believe all of them are his."

Dean blew out a harsh breath, "Awesome. Did he give you a map to his bedroom or am I gonna have to dig out my old GPS?"

Just then the gate started to slide open as a man in a butler's uniform drove down in a small transcar and pulled up right in front of them.

"I am here for the lady Anna…only," he said eyeing Meg and Dean like they smelled like Gabriel's socks. Anna gave them an apologetic look before hopping on to the car, but Dean grabbed her arm before they could leave, looking her in the eye.

"You be sure to give us a call when you need a ride back," he told her seriously.

"I will."

Dean gave short nod to her and then the driver, letting him continue on his way. Although, when they were only a few meters away Dean made sure to call out loudly, both hands cupped around his mouth, "Cas told me to tell you "have satisfying sex"!" he shouted so that hopefully the whole estate could hear.

Anna's laugh tinkled merrily over the sound of the departing transcar.

* * *

And so cometh the plot in the next few chapters!


	3. Chapter 3

Notes: Plot! Well, the set up anyway. Here we get to see the planning part of the heist, something we rarely get to see in episodes or movies, but I always found myself wondering how they came up with the ideas of how to go about a caper. So this was my little attempt at that. Also, I wanted to have a scene were I could show just how good a Captain Dean is and how well he and his crew work together. I was really happy with how it came out. Perfectly synced crew =^.^=

Disclaimer: How are the plans for the Ocean's Eleven thing going?

* * *

CHAPTER 3

By the time they got back to the ship there was already a meeting underway around the table in the kitchen as they all looked over some maps that looked suspiciously like one of the houses on Anna's date's estate.

Dean walked quietly into the dining area, just listening to the chatter of his crew as they worked out the next heist as he made his way over to Cas who was fiddling with a few diagrams at the furthest end of the table. He looked so intent and focused on them that Dean was almost surprised that he even noticed Dean's silent arrival, but then again, psychic.

He moved up behind Cas' chair and leaned against the backrest, eyes trailing over the impressive spread of intel on the table. He may have come in late, but he was able to pick right up on where in the planning Sam and the others had gotten to. All Dean had really missed was who was the target, and what was the target, but it didn't really matter much because from where he was standing and also by the looks of the diagrams and maps, this was going to be a simple grab-and-go.

Still, Sam decided to fill him and Meg in once he finally noticed their arrival.

"A contact of one of our contacts gave us this one. Target is your normal over-paid, tyrannical rich average joe by the name of Havers. He's the perfect target. He's dumb enough to have lulled himself into a false sense of security because his factory workers are too poor to buy the equipment to break into his place, and even better for us, his ties to this planet are incredibly sketchy, just like everything else. Garrison wouldn't even bat an eye if he called in stolen property."

Gabriel snorted, "Yeah. Wouldn't even send in a condolences card, let alone spare a one person cruiser. We do this right we have a set and clean getaway."

"Of course that also means that if we are caught that chances are we won't live to stand trial, or maybe one of us will disappear as well," Chuck moaned as he ran his hands through his hair, tugging on the curly ends. Dean had to agree. It was risky, but they were professionals. They just couldn't be stupid about this. He just hoped that his very tired crew were up to this.

Shit. They really needed money for food and fuel to make it to the next planet.

With a gentle slap to Cas' shoulder, Dean stood up straight, "We're just going to have to be cautious. So what's the pinch?"

Bobby pulled out a photo and handed it to the Captain, "Painting named "Better Times". Worth a good five thousand platinum. Should be more than enough to keep us floating for another month if we keep up with this parade route for Companions."

Dean looked it over and memorized the image. Wouldn't do to grab the wrong one and it turn out to be the guys' five year old daughter's first grade art project. Sometimes it was hard to tell with abstract art.

Dean glanced back up, "Dimensions and limitations?"

Balthazar pulled up a spec sheet and read off the information, "32 inches by 34 inches. Held in a metal frame but was painted with acrylics so we can roll it up if needed. Frame isn't worth much, mere fifty platinum so its best to just leave it. Avoid water and fire and it should be good for the taking."

Dean nodded, "Security?"

Cas started to shuffle through the sheets in front of him and pulled out two maps, the first being of the house and lands, the second of the gallery.

"After convincing the architect that I was a very lost, desperate and confused servant on his first day of work for Mr. Havers, I was able to obtain the maps for the houses as well some specifics," a few people chuckled, especially those who were in the room while Cas had started to cry and sob into the mic about how he was going to lose his job if he didn't find the kitchen that held the broom closet and then the gallery to sweep up.

Cas continued as if he didn't hear anything, "Painting is being held in the third house art gallery on the second floor. It's located on the wall between the fourth and fifth window on the north side. No interior security on the painting, but the door to the room has a camera that sweeps the whole gallery." He glanced at Dean to check to see if he got all that. At the Captain's nod he continued.

"Exterior security are window alarms with electric locks and every door with it's own camera and electric as well as bolt locks. Lawn has cameras that work in strategic sweeps to canvas as much area as possible, but I have already mapped out a path that we can take because whoever synced those cameras did a poor job of patterning them to always have an eye on a few areas."

Balthazar and Gabriel beamed proudly at their little brother as he continued.

"Guards are posted randomly around the lands, one posted on the inside of the gallery as well as the outside. Every ten minutes two guards make rounds through the hallways of the buildings. Gate has no security except for sharp spikes. Daunting to others, but I think those can easily be avoided," he concluded.

Then all eyes turned to Dean as he tumbled the information around in his head. He had one arm crossed over his chest, the other hand was scratching at some stubble on his cheek as he thought it over. After a few moments he glanced up at his crew, "You guys think you are all up for this?"

Numerous sounds of affirmation erupted from them with enough enthusiasm that Dean was inclined to believe them so he nodded his head once, a sign for his approval and then the real planning started up.

* * *

They had a short time-table to work with. Anna's appointment started on the early side so that Havers would have the whole day with her, so they had about fourteen hours to plan and execute before they would need to pick up Anna and then Havers would be back on the prowl.

Anna would get a real kick out of being part of a heist once she got back. She'd always been curious about participating in a caper.

Thankfully, his crew had done this so many times before and they were the best of the best at this point. They could pull this off in their sleep, but hopefully if this painting paid off right then they might finally be able to actually sleep during the day while Anna was on her business trips.

They all huddled close over the table, shoulders bumping together, coffee mugs holding down sheets and getting rings of sludge on the papers, a few rough shoves when someone suggested something stupid. It was just how things were supposed to be. The poor stealing from the rich to keep to themselves for food and fuel. It was beautiful. Circle of life and all that crap.

"Okay, so Balthazar will be our distraction to get the guards to the gate. Once he's drawn as many of them as possible away from the grounds we can take Cas' route to the building," Dean stated firmly as probably their ninth draft, looking around for any objections, but the others stayed quiet.

"Good. So that's when Cas, Sam and I move in. Sam will keep an eye out on the ground floor while we make our way into the gallery. Cas can sneak up to the guards and knock 'em cold—"

"I do not like that proposal."

Everyone glanced at Cas with confused expressions, Dean especially as he thought that this would be the perfect job for Cas.

"Why? I know you can do this, man. You're so quiet I've literally thought about getting you a collar with one of those bells on it."

Cas looked a little offended at that, "I've told you before. I'm not a cat."

Balthazar scrunched his nose up, "Aw, Dean. Please don't bring up your kinks for my baby brother at the dinner table," he moaned, but the Captain was focused completely on Cas.

"Why don't you want to do it?"

For a moment, Cas didn't answer and just fiddled with some of the sheets in front of him nervously, "I, ah, I don't want to be used as an attack dog. Especially not as an assassin. I don't like hurting unless provoked…and if I'm not mistaken, most of you are more comfortable with that rule as well," he said, eyes darting around nervously as if afraid to make eye contact with any of them.

They all knew better than to stare at Cas, so they turned their attention to their Captain for how to handle this little change in the plan. But thankfully both Winchesters were the masters of plan B's and C's and D's, as well as a few G's, and it was quickly decided that Cas would be the distraction and Dean and Meg would be the ones breaking in since she had no qualms about knocking a few heads.

Not too long after that, they had a working plan. And they had a good eight hours to get things ready.

Damn, Dean couldn't have asked to captain a better crew.

* * *

Next bunch of chapters should hopefully be up in a week. I don't know how intense training/orientation week will be, but hopefully I'll still be able to post. I'll write the chapters on my phone if I have to XD


	4. Chapter 4

Notes: HI GUYS! I'm not dead, just trying to find my feet as I set up my "I just graduated college" life. Lived on a ranch with no internet for three months, now back in NY, new job, new boyfriend, living in a new state, paying bills for the first time, yeah. It's been "real". I am so sorry to have made y'all wait so long, but I'm going to try tossing out some chapters again! So excited to finish up this series! However, still a long ways to go. From the looks of it this episode will be one of my longest yet. Hang in there guys! Love you all! And thanks for all of you who checked in with me as I did my invisible act. I am in fact alive and well and ready to give again! :D

Disclaimer: Even with paying my taxes like a good girl, I still down own anything here. Damn.

* * *

CHAPTER 4

The clunk of the shoes on his feet was very unpleasant. They seemed to catch on every stone and pebble and get sucked into every mud patch. For the life of him, Castiel did not understand why people insisted on wearing shoes. Their function was sound in that they protected the skin of the soles from sharp objects, but if people took the time to grow callous then there wouldn't be concern for that in the first place. Animals were just fine without the toe confining foot boxes.

Despite sharing this thought with Dean, the Captain had told him that he couldn't go barefoot and then had to forcibly tie them onto Cas' feet. The only compromise he would allow was that Cas didn't have to wear socks. An error Cas was now regretting as the sharp edges of the oversized dress shoes he was borrowing from Balthazar were cutting into his ankles.

However, no matter how much it hurt him, Castiel would not stop now to try and heal them. He was on a mission. He was playing a very important role in the heist and he would not let the crew down, especially because he had insisted on having this role instead of being used as the assassin for this task.

He trudged along through the streets, trying his best to keep his confident look, to stay on target, but those souls of the factory workers around him were like dark shadows falling over his eyes and almost blinding him from his goal. The despair of this city was more suffocating than he could ever remember feeling before, and it had felt like years since Castiel had tasted the fresh free air of a planet.

The gate finally came into view. A heavenly looking pearly gate amongst dark and stormy clouds, even if it actually held nothing besides corrupt and misguided plagues. It was time.

Castiel shifted the briefcase from one sweaty hand to his other and walked right up to the entrance.

* * *

"_That trenchcoat really sells this whole thing doesn't it? It's like it was meant to be or something."_

Dean rolled his eyes at Gabriel's voice in his ear, but he had to agree that the coat added a certain flare to the get-up. Thankfully the pilot couldn't see him and was still on the ship monitoring the happenings from where he and Chuck had patched themselves in to the cortex network of security cameras. The Captain sighed and tapped at the radio in his ear, "Let's just hope it distracts from his other "unique" characteristics….This is a really stupid idea and can only end in really awkward or really bad shit. Is it too late to call back the dogs?"

"Hey. I was the one who suggested Balthazar play the role of the distraction. But maybe being psychic will give him a leg up in this?" said Sam hopefully next to Dean and Meg. The three of them were huddled behind a corner in one of the very few empty alleys that didn't contain a man waiting in the shadows for a few pennies to steal. From where they were they had not only a clear view of the gates (Dean had insisted that they be close by if things went south with Cas fast) as well as a clear shot of the east wall where they were to climb over if this actually played out right.

Once again Dean sighed and turned his attention to the gate where Cas had just arrived and was now knocking gently on the metal bars.

"Who's idea was it to use "the salesman" plan of attack?"

* * *

Once again Castiel shifted the case in his hands as he waited at the gate. From a distance he could see two curious and perhaps slightly cautious guards start to inch towards the entrance, spotting the young man in the trenchcoat.

There were six guards that were posted in the areas that Dean and the others would need to move through undetected, so it was their hope to at least draw the attention of half of them in order for the brothers and Meg to "incapacitate" the remaining guards. The more that were focused on Cas, the less they would have to take care of.

Cas kept this in mind as he saw the first two move to about ten feet from the entrance and stand before him, beefy arms crossed over their chests as they regarded him. For a moment they all just stood there staring at each other, analyzing every bit of them. As gently as possible, no more than a mere brush of his tendrils and Cas was ready.

There was a small crackle of static in his earpiece and Dean's voice came echoing through, "_Might wanna say something, Cas, before they send out an alarm_." That's when Cas noticed the bigger man's hand start traveling down to his side where a radio was clipped.

"_Any time now, Cas…_"

As soon as Dean signed off, Castiel met their eyes and his blank expression split into an alarmingly bright and perhaps overly friendly smile.

"Hello fellow humans. My name is John Dunne and I'm here to talk to you about a product that I think might interest you and any familial unit that you might have," he said brightly, being sure to keep the smile on his face even though his cheeks were starting to hurt. Balthazar had insisted that smiling would help.

The bigger of the two snorted and his hand lay limp at his side, no longer going for the radio. The smaller of the two seemed less amused and moved a few feet closer, his eyes squinted and nose scrunched as if Castiel smelled bad or hurt his face. Cas wasn't really sure.

"The boss ain't interested in whatever it is you're selling, boy." he informed sternly, but Cas saw his eyes trail curiously to the case in his hands. This would be a tough sell, but the young Novak was ready for it.

He smiled sadly at both of them and nodded in understanding, "Of course," he said quietly while letting his eyes trail over the two of them. He had done this many times with Dean and the Captain had started to call it his "soul search look" or "the creepy thing you do when you're trying to find out what someone is thinking". It was about to come in handy.

Both men were slowly turning away from Castiel, but he called out gently to their backs.

"It must be hard to work for a man so rich when you're family is struggling to purchase flour for bread."

Both men turned back slightly and Castiel pushed on.

"It must also be hard to find peace in a place like this, surrounded by so much misery and anger. I find myself wondering sometimes how people can exist in such a state, that their lives are such that they are and that I still call it a life. Tell me, do you attend church?"

The crunch of gravel was heard as the two guards walked back up to the gate, shaking their heads hesitantly. Trap set.

* * *

"I can't believe what I'm listening to."

"Dean, you've said that like five times already."

"Well I still can't believe it. I mean….how the hell…?"

From the ground Meg tossed a rock in boredom as Sam and Dean spoke, sneering at the both of them, "The freak is you're little pet project. You didn't expect something like this?"

The Captain turned back to where Castiel had engaged five of the six guards so far as he talked to them about the wonders of God and the peace found in church going. All he had to do was talk in his rough entrancing low voice as he spoke with passion and soon the two guards had been awed enough that it looked like one of them might even cry. And of course the others had also heard some of the conversation and were drawn like moths, drawn to Cas like a freaking light bulb.

Sam was thinking there had to be some sort of mojo thing going on, and Dean almost agreed if not for knowing first hand how entrancing Cas could be at times. Gabriel however was moaning and groaning over the radios as time continued on. The trap had been set almost half an hour ago and Cas had still not given them the signal to move in. Granted there was still one guard left, but they would wait for the signal like the plan stated.

Gabriel's voice whined over the radios again, "_He never talked this much before. Why start now?!"_

* * *

"You mustn't let yourselves, soul and body, be consumed by this planet. You must learn to love again. Love life and yourselves."

The sound of a nose being blown from one of the last guards to arrive was where Castiel looked them all in the eyes again, all of them shining a bit, red even for a few.

_Sniff_

"That was beautiful. We'll do that, we promise," the original guard said and Castiel knew he wasn't lying. At least there would be some good coming from this.

Cas smiled at them all, "Yes, church can be a good home for those who are in a struggle to accept their life as it is. Sadly, so few people go now. That is why I am….going door to door looking to sell some products so that all proceeds can go towards buying new bibles."

All of their heads shot up and a few hands flew to their pants to feel for their wallets. There was nothing quite like a bit of soul wrenching to get people to loosen their pocketbooks.

"What are you selling?" asked the biggest man, his eyes wide and eager.

Castiel smiled and pulled out his briefcase, casting a glance over to where the last guard on the grounds was now gazing over curiously, and then he pulled out his display products.

"What I have here are some of the most useful things that any family should have. They are sturdy. They are reliable. Easily cleaned and come in any assortment of color."

"…plastic dishware?"

"Not just any plastic dishware. This kind is capable of withstanding high frequency pitches that would shatter any glass or ceramic dishes that most people use. I have tested it myself many times."

Castiel made sure that he was still smiling and then he noticed the last guard finally walk towards them and Cas greeted him with a nod and handed him one of the cups to inspect while handing the others various plates or bowls.

The last guard rolled the cup in his hands slowly before looking up at Cas, "Are these microwave safe?"

* * *

"There it is! That's the signal," Dean said quickly as he saw Cas flap the side of his coat slightly, and jumped to his feet after having finally sat down after waiting so long.

Both Sam and Meg did the same and blew out a harsh breath. Looks like they wouldn't need Meg to take out any remaining guards after all.

"Can't believe that worked," Sam mumbled to himself, more in awe than in confusion Dean noted proudly, but now was not the time for teasing. It was their turn now and they all got in to position.

Like squirrels darting across the street, they all ran up to the wall that stretched around the entire estate. It was a normal stone wall, all shaven and sanded so that there were no grips, and two lines of sharp electrical wire were strung about six inches from the top of the wall, but that was no problem for them.

Sam was first to reach the wall, his long legs letting him practically glide over the short street. Once at the wall he crouched down and laced his fingers together at level with his knees. Not stopping for even a second, Meg ran right up to the younger Winchester and placed one small foot in his cupped hands and let him propel her up the wall and held her at level with the wires.

Bobby had packed them a sweet little bag of tools, one of which was a rubber handled wire cutter. Another was a clever little device that Chuck used for when he was working on live wires. It would continue to circulate the current of the wire as if it wasn't cut at all. Normally it was meant to keep the ship from having a hissy fit when an important system was disturbed, but in this case it was far more useful to keep any alarms from going off.

Meg quickly set up the small device and then cut away the wires, just big enough to fit all of their frames and hopefully not draw attention to the gaping hole above the wall any time soon. At least Cas now had each and every guard checking out their dishes.

As soon as Meg was done, she glanced down at the brothers and winked before hopping down on the other side. The other side of the wall, Sam once again cupped his hands and Dean was next to pull himself up on the wall, only turning to give Sam and hand up before the two of them followed Meg to the ground.

"Okay, Gabe. We need the pattern settings. You ready?"

"_Always ready for you Sam….okay. On the count of two I want you guys to head to the right of those rose bushes. You need to be past them in ten seconds. Then you will wait at the pine tree for five seconds. Then you make a mad dash to the building. Dongma?"_

Sam and Meg grunted their affirmation, but Dean crinkled his nose in confusion, "Count of two? Why not three?"

"_Because I'm a very impatient person. Now pay attention. Okay. One…TWO!"_

Sam kept an audible count going under his breath so that the three of them were in sync as they ran along the bushes. It wasn't a particularly long row of flowers, so they had no trouble reaching the end before the end of the ten seconds.

At the pine tree, Dean stole one last glance over his shoulder to where Cas was still captivating his audience. Cas seemed to sense the attention and for only a millisecond he glanced over to Dean and met his eyes, only enough time before Sam nudged Dean along and they ran the rest of the way to the building that held the gallery.

The building itself was rather beautiful if you liked looking at architecture. It was fashioned after ancient colonial housing estates, but they knew not to trust the seemingly old and simple house. This thing was packed with security, but thankfully that wouldn't be too much of a problem for the crew as Chuck and Gabriel had jammed most of the cameras and alarms already.

Reaching the back door they could see that it appeared to be wooden, but the intel they had said it was only plated in wood and the center was a nice alloy metal. It would take several minutes and a very loud tool in order to cut through it. That's where Gabriel and Chuck came in.

"_Okay. Once you've finished with the green wire, you need to grab the yellow and splice it with the blue. From there you just hit the blue button and you're in."_

Sam followed each step as Gabriel relayed them into his ear, carefully moving each wire in such a way that it wouldn't brush up against any other sparking plugs on accident. His painstakingly attentive work was rewarded when they all heard the click of the door unlocking.

Now it was Dean's turn to step forward, but he didn't enter the building just yet. Instead he turned to Sam.

"Uh, you keep your eyes open, okay? Cas isn't too far away if you get into trouble. Just….holler if you have to," he said awkwardly, scratching at the back of his neck.

"_I second this motion!" Gabriel shouted over the radios._

Sam would have loved to tease his older brother and Gabriel for their obvious protectiveness, but now wasn't the time. He just nodded and clapped Dean on the shoulder and nudged them inside.

"Don't worry. I'll keep this door secure. You just get us that nice big pay check."

* * *

There was an odd feeling that Dean had deep down in his chest, a feeling that something would go wrong. Of course, when had anything not gone wrong on a heist? This was just normal for them and he and his crew would handle whatever was thrown their way like they always did. This was just how they did things.

Still, as Meg and Dean ran up the stairs to the gallery, he just couldn't quell that nervous bubble of acid in the pit of his stomach.

They both reached the door and the Captain pulled out his radio, "Okay, Gabe. We're at the door."

"_Roger that, Cap! All you gotta here is hold up that pretty little emitter Bobby and Sam created and press the red button. That will deliver a frequency that will jam the interior camera on the gallery."_

Following the instructions they did just that and then quickly opened the door up to step into an incredibly fancy gallery. There were paintings hung in ornate and shiny frames, fresh flowers in very expensive looking vases in between each display, and of course right where Cas had said it was, was the painting.

Ignoring all other artwork, pottery, and the now jammed camera in the room, they both walked right up to their target and together pulled the frame from the wall.

Dean glanced down at it as he held the frame steady for Meg to take out the piece. He was no art critic, but he could appreciate this painting. Up close he could see how a single brush stroke from this painter carried several colors working seamlessly to create the characters in his work. What really struck him was the artists' choice of topic. It was a tree with large branches, lush with leaves and two young boys sleeping in the shade. The blue of the sky and the fluffiness of the clouds was so real it was almost like looking at a photo of one of those paradise planets that rich people lived on. It was stunning in its accuracy and simplicity.

"Better Times, huh?" he whispered to himself as he thought about the title of the art. If only he and Sam had better times like that.

Once Meg had removed the piece, she rolled it up and started to stuff it down the protective tube that she had slung over her shoulder. They had what they came for, time to go.

Lifting the radio back up to his lips, Dean called out to his crew, "Okay, guys. Milk is in the jug. We're moving into phase three."

Gabriel's voice was the only one to call back an affirmative, which was a little odd, but there was nothing to do about it at the moment. Phase three was getting their collective thieving asses back to the Impala before they were noticed. Easy enough. Dean and Meg started down the stairs and headed towards the ground level where Sam would be waiting at the door for them.

* * *

After bidding goodbye to his customers, and also selling a few pieces of dishware, Castiel started to make his way back to the alley where he was supposed to meet up with Dean and the others. As he walked, Castiel had a certain proud expression on his face for not only doing his part in the heist, but also earning them about $30 platinum from his sales. That was enough for a decent meal or two for the crew, and it made him feel warm inside that he could help for once without violence.

He had just stepped into the shadow of the alley when something wrenched at his brain and made his stomach turn. Falling to his knees, Castiel started to gasp for breath as he sorted through whatever could have given him this response. Then he realized what must have happened. Castiel's fragile emotions cracked as he thought of what this meant and he curled up there on the ground, not caring about the mud that was soaking into his coat and tried to calm his racing heart.

"Oh, no. No, no, no, no, no. Oh, please no."

* * *

Dean swung open the door on the bottom floor and walked out with a half grin. The bubbling in his stomach had only gotten worse the further down the stairs he and Meg had come and now, even with their prize safely in hand, Dean couldn't slap on his normal shit eating grin.

Then that half smile fell completely when he glanced around at the quiet and empty grove before them.

He felt like he was going to throw up.

"Where's Sam?"

* * *

Yay! It's a chapter! *proud face* Hope you enjoyed guys. I'll be working on the next chapter tomorrow :)


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